Seattle Reign FC vs Washington Spirit, 2024 NWSL, Regular Season
· NWSLEarly penalty conversion lifts Reign over Spirit
Bethany Balcer's early penalty conversion proved decisive as Seattle Reign FC then held off the Washington Spirit to secure a 1-0 victory Sunday at Lumen Field.
Match Timeline
- 0': Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
- 0': First Half begins.
- 1': Penalty Seattle Reign. Jordyn Huitema draws a foul in the penalty area.
- 1': Penalty conceded by Gabrielle Carle (Washington Spirit) after a foul in the penalty area.
- 3': Goal! Seattle Reign 1, Washington Spirit 0. Bethany Balcer (Seattle Reign) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
- 3': Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 3': Foul by Bethany Balcer (Seattle Reign).
- 4': Hand ball by Ji So-Yun (Seattle Reign).
- 7': Attempt saved. Jordyn Huitema (Seattle Reign) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Jess Fishlock with a cross.
- 9': Foul by Hal Hershfelt (Washington Spirit).
- 9': Ji So-Yun (Seattle Reign) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 13': Bethany Balcer (Seattle Reign) wins a free kick on the right wing.
- 13': Foul by Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit).
- 13': Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
- 14': Attempt blocked. Jordyn Huitema (Seattle Reign) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Bethany Balcer with a cross.
- 15': Delay in match because of an injury Jordyn Huitema (Seattle Reign).
- 15': Delay over. They are ready to continue.
- 19': Corner, Washington Spirit. Conceded by Phoebe McClernon.
- 22': Brittany Ratcliffe (Washington Spirit) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 22': Foul by Lily Woodham (Seattle Reign).
- 23': Attempt blocked. Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Gabrielle Carle.
- 23': Foul by Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit).
- 23': Quinn (Seattle Reign) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 25': Attempt saved. Jess Fishlock (Seattle Reign) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Bethany Balcer.
- 29': Attempt blocked. Jordyn Huitema (Seattle Reign) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ji So-Yun.
- 30': Attempt missed. Quinn (Seattle Reign) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
- 32': Attempt saved. Ji So-Yun (Seattle Reign) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
- 33': Attempt saved. Shae Holmes (Seattle Reign) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Jordyn Huitema.
- 33': Attempt blocked. Ji So-Yun (Seattle Reign) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lily Woodham.
- 33': Brittany Ratcliffe (Washington Spirit) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 33': Foul by Lily Woodham (Seattle Reign).
- 38': Delay in match because of an injury Jess Fishlock (Seattle Reign).
- 39': Delay over. They are ready to continue.
- 41': Attempt saved. Jess Fishlock (Seattle Reign) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Lily Woodham with a cross.
- 41': Corner, Seattle Reign. Conceded by Tara McKeown.
- 41': Attempt blocked. Phoebe McClernon (Seattle Reign) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Quinn.
- 41': Corner, Seattle Reign. Conceded by Andi Sullivan.
- 43': Offside, Seattle Reign. Jordyn Huitema is caught offside.
- 44': Foul by Bethany Balcer (Seattle Reign).
- 44': Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 44': Delay in match because of an injury Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit).
- 45'+1': Delay over. They are ready to continue.
- 45'+2': Substitution, Washington Spirit. Annaïg Butel replaces Kate Wiesner because of an injury.
- 45'+3': Bethany Balcer (Seattle Reign) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 45'+3': Foul by Annaïg Butel (Washington Spirit).
- 45'+6': Corner, Seattle Reign. Conceded by Gabrielle Carle.
- 45'+9': Corner, Washington Spirit. Conceded by Phoebe McClernon.
- 45'+10': First Half ends, Seattle Reign 1, Washington Spirit 0.
- 45': Second Half begins Seattle Reign 1, Washington Spirit 0.
- 47': Foul by Hal Hershfelt (Washington Spirit).
- 47': Quinn (Seattle Reign) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 50': Brittany Ratcliffe (Washington Spirit) wins a free kick on the right wing.
- 50': Foul by Lily Woodham (Seattle Reign).
- 56': Foul by Sofia Huerta (Seattle Reign).
- 56': Ouleymata Sarr (Washington Spirit) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 56': Attempt saved. Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Gabrielle Carle with a cross.
- 58': Foul by Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit).
- 58': Lily Woodham (Seattle Reign) wins a free kick on the left wing.
- 60': Delay in match because of an injury Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit).
- 61': Delay over. They are ready to continue.
- 63': Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 63': Foul by Quinn (Seattle Reign).
- 63': Substitution, Seattle Reign. Olivia Van der Jagt replaces Angharad James.
- 63': Substitution, Seattle Reign. Lauren Barnes replaces Lily Woodham.
- 64': Corner, Seattle Reign. Conceded by Gabrielle Carle.
- 65': Attempt missed. Shae Holmes (Seattle Reign) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ji So-Yun following a corner.
- 65': Substitution, Washington Spirit. Makenna Morris replaces Brittany Ratcliffe.
- 65': Substitution, Washington Spirit. Courtney Brown replaces Ashley Hatch.
- 68': Corner, Washington Spirit. Conceded by Jess Fishlock.
- 69': Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 69': Foul by Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit).
- 69': GOAL OVERTURNED BY VAR: Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit) scores but the goal is ruled out after a VAR review.
- 71': VAR Decision: No Goal Seattle Reign 1-0 Washington Spirit.
- 78': Hand ball by Quinn (Seattle Reign).
- 81': Foul by Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit).
- 81': Ji So-Yun (Seattle Reign) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 83': Foul by Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit).
- 83': Jess Fishlock (Seattle Reign) wins a free kick on the right wing.
- 83': Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
- 85': Hand ball by Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit).
- 88': VAR Decision: Card upgraded Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit).
- 90'+1': Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit) is shown the red card.
- 90'+2': Substitution, Washington Spirit. Lyza Bosselmann replaces Croix Bethune.
- 90'+3': Attempt missed. Ji So-Yun (Seattle Reign) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right from a direct free kick.
- 90'+4': Substitution, Seattle Reign. Ryanne Brown replaces Shae Holmes.
- 90'+4': Substitution, Seattle Reign. Olivia Athens replaces Ji So-Yun.
- 90'+6': Substitution, Seattle Reign. Emeri Adames replaces Bethany Balcer.
- 90'+6': Foul by Ouleymata Sarr (Washington Spirit).
- 90'+6': Olivia Van der Jagt (Seattle Reign) wins a free kick on the right wing.
- 90'+7': Offside, Seattle Reign. Olivia Athens is caught offside.
- 90'+8': Attempt blocked. Quinn (Seattle Reign) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
- 90'+10': Foul by Makenna Morris (Washington Spirit).
- 90'+10': Quinn (Seattle Reign) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 90'+13': Annaïg Butel (Washington Spirit) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 90'+13': Foul by Jess Fishlock (Seattle Reign).
- 90'+14': Second Half ends, Seattle Reign 1, Washington Spirit 0.
- 0': Match ends, Seattle Reign 1, Washington Spirit 0.
- 0': Match ends, Seattle Reign 1, Washington Spirit 0.
Game Information
Venue: Lumen Field
Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
Attendance: 8,557
NWSL Table
| # | TEAM | GP | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Wave FC | 5 | +5 | 12 |
| 2 | Portland Thorns FC | 5 | +3 | 10 |
| 3 | Seattle Reign FC | 5 | +3 | 10 |
| 4 | Angel City FC | 4 | +6 | 9 |
Line-Ups
Seattle Reign FC (4-1-2-1-2)
| No. | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Claudia Dickey (GK) |
| 25 | Shae Holmes |
| 21 | Phoebe McClernon |
| 5 | Quinn |
| 17 | Lily Woodham |
| 11 | Sofia Huerta |
| 91 | Ji So-Yun |
| 10 | Jess Fishlock |
| 6 | Angharad James-Turner |
| 9 | Jordyn Huitema |
| 8 | Bethany Balcer |
Washington Spirit (4-2-3-1)
| No. | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Aubrey Kingsbury (GK) |
| 3 | Casey Krueger |
| 9 | Tara Rudd |
| 6 | Kate Wiesner |
| 14 | Gabrielle Carle |
| 7 | Croix Bethune |
| 17 | Hal Hershfelt |
| 12 | Andi Sullivan |
| 33 | Ashley Hatch |
| 11 | Ouleymata Sarr |
| 13 | Brittany Ratcliffe |
NWSL News
The National Women's Soccer League Players Association says that a majority of players are currently opposed to a potential switch of the league's calendar to a fall-spring season.
Jeff Kassouf reports the NWSL is expected to vote this month on a potential shift in its seasonal calendar.
Retired sports stars Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe announced on social media that, after a decade together, they are no longer in a relationship.
The NWSL's board of governors is expected to vote later this month on whether to flip the league's calendar to a fall-to-spring season, multiple sources told ESPN.
San Diego Wave are the new leaders of the ESPN's NWSL Power Rankings, while the Washington Spirit are soaring up.